All Songs Considered

12:32 pm

Mon February 4, 2013

Question Of The Week: Which Songs Get You Through The Winter?

Fleet Foxes were among the many artists listeners say they turn to to survive the winter months.

Sean Pecknold

On Monday we asked you to make a playlist of the songs that get you through the winter. We weren't sure what to expect. We figured most people hate this time of year and just want to escape in the sounds of cheery, sun-dappled pop. It turns out that most of you just want to hibernate (except for the listener who suggested "Margaritaville"). We've put together another playlist highlighting some of your suggestions. The artist most often mentioned was Bon Iver. But you can also hear Fleet Foxes, Roxy Music, Leonard Cohen, The Velvet Underground and many more. Enjoy listening, and keep the suggestions coming!

Note: We do these music debates every Monday. If you've got a question for Bob or Robin, or a topic you'd like us to tackle, leave it in the comments section (or drop us an email: allsongs@npr.org).

It may be the shortest month of the year, but February can feel brutally long for anyone who's sick of winter. Brief, colorless days and frigid nights. The silence of leafless trees and the hardened earth. But, hey, Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow over the weekend, so spring is right around the corner!

As we enter the home stretch, we want to know what you've been listening to to get you through the long winter months. Tell us your Top 5 songs to survive the season. Even better, make a five-song playlist in Spotify or Rdio (or whatever works for you) and post a link to it in the comments section.

On Friday, we'll put together one big playlist featuring some of the highlights from everyone's lists.

Full disclosure as far as my picks go: I love winter. Love it! And I loathe the summer. So a lot of the music that accompanies me through these months is quiet, solitary, reflective, depressing.

1. Eluvium: "One" from Talk Amongst the Trees: This cut perfectly captures the icy stillness of winter. It's the sound of a long, deep hibernation.

2. Alexandre Desplat: "Prologue" to Birth (Soundtrack): I'll forever associate this song with going for a cheery jog in the snow and having a heart attack. I've actually never had a heart attack, while running in the snow or otherwise. But I always assume I will. The opening scene to this movie, and Desplat's score, probably planted the seed.

3. Led Zeppelin: "No Quarter" from Houses of the Holy: My idea of rocking out in winter. Also, the beginning sounds like melting snow.

4. Jon Brion: "Theme" from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Soundtrack): I like movie soundtracks, particularly Jon Brion's. This song says, "I'm getting through this the best I can," with a glimmer of hope for sunnier days. It's also a little solitary, like most of these songs.

5. Brian McBride: "Girl Nap" from The Effective Disconnect: Oh, to hell with it, let's go back to bed.